So my stress level doesn't have a body count.

Martha Stewart Is My Patronus

Or How Even a Messy Artist Can Become Freakishly Organized When the Mood Strikes…

My house, generally, is clean…ish. Hey, I have kids and I want to keep my sanity so I’ve learned to ignore a few things here and there. However, if I find socks in the living room? All bets are off. I will flip the frig out. I can’t stand dirty, stinky, rolled up socks in my living room. That’s just trying to provoke me.

What I’m saying is that I’ve learned to live with a certain level of dust, pet fur, and stains. My place is the place everyone comes to; it’s Kid Central here. We’re relaxed…ish. Well, I am anyway. If you break one of my rules, I’ll be sure to let you know quickly. Still, it hasn’t seemed to stop anyone from coming over so I guess I’m not too bad after all.

My bedroom is off limits to most everyone. It’s my sanctuary. You can stop by to visit but you can’t stay. Only the cat can come and go with impunity. And, usually, my room is neat as a pin. I have way too much stuff in a small space: bed, desk, computer, art stuff, etc. so I’m super organized. Everything has its place and I flip out if you borrow something and don’t return it to its proper place. (The kids think leaving things on my bed or desk is okay. It is not. They will never learn. Sigh.) This way I know where everything is and nothing is lost. It’s really great if I’m busy on a project because then I don’t have to lose time searching for what I need.

That is, until lately. I’ve kind of let things slide a bit. I don’t have an official “mess” yet, but it’s getting there. There’s definite disorganization. I can’t find things. I also hate how it makes me feel. I never realized how good my nice, pretty, organized room made me feel until it wasn’t so organized anymore. It really does affect your mood. I find I don’t focus as well in there either.

Who would have thought that such a small thing would have such an impact? I know that as someone with a chronic illness, I spend a lot of time in my room. I do almost everything in there: watch Netflix, draw, paint, read, knit, meditate, and sleep. Of course a pretty environment would have a positive effect on me and a messy one the opposite. It only makes sense, right? It’s what I spend most of my day looking at, it should be pleasing. I have to stay on top of my clutter as part of my overall health plan too. It’s one of those little peripherals you don’t consider but really is so important. So I’ll be straightening out my room bit by bit, making it more pleasing to my eye and looking forward to a boost in my mood.